How much does conveyancing
cost in Melbourne?

It's usually the first question people ask us, and it deserves a straight answer. Conveyancing in Melbourne is made up of three layers of cost: the conveyancer's own fee, the searches and certificates they pay for on your behalf, and the government charges that come with every property transfer. Only the first one is really up for comparison.

Quotes can look very different from one firm to the next, mostly because they bundle those layers differently. Once you know what sits in each, it's much easier to compare like with like and avoid an unwelcome bill at settlement.

1. The professional fee

This is what you pay the conveyancer for their time and responsibility. For a standard house or unit in Melbourne, a licensed conveyancer's professional fee commonly sits somewhere between about $800 and $1,500. Solicitors often charge more for the same work, especially if they bill by the hour.

For that fee, a good conveyancer will review the contract and Section 32, order and read the searches, deal with the agent, your lender and the other side, calculate the settlement adjustments, and run settlement through PEXA. If any of those steps is priced as an extra, that's worth knowing before you sign up.

2. Disbursements: the costs passed through to you

Disbursements are payments the conveyancer makes to third parties on your behalf. They're charged at cost, and on a typical residential matter they add a few hundred dollars. The usual ones are:

• Title search and plan from Land Use Victoria, confirming who owns the land and what's registered against it;
• Property certificates such as the council land information certificate, water authority information, land tax and planning certificates;
• Owners corporation certificate if the property is a unit, townhouse or apartment;
• PEXA fees for running the electronic settlement and lodging the transfer.

Sellers pay for most of the searches, because they're needed to prepare the Section 32. Buyers usually pay for fewer, but should still budget for them.

3. The government charges that dwarf both

For a buyer, the biggest cost of the transaction is not the conveyancer. It's land transfer duty (stamp duty), paid to the State Revenue Office at settlement. On a typical Melbourne home it runs into tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the price, how you'll use the property and whether you qualify for a concession. The SRO's online calculator gives a reliable estimate, and our guides to first home buyer concessions and off-the-plan duty cover the main ways to reduce it.

Buyers also pay a transfer registration fee to Land Use Victoria, which rises with the purchase price, and a mortgage registration fee if they're borrowing. These are set by the government, so every conveyancer passes on the same amounts.

“A quote that looks $200 cheaper means nothing if it leaves out the searches. Always compare the total, not the headline fee.”

What can push the price up

A straightforward purchase or sale sits at the lower end of the range. These situations take more work and usually cost more:

• Off-the-plan contracts, with sunset clauses and long settlement periods to manage;
• Units in large owners corporations, where there are more documents and levies to check;
• Commercial property, where GST and leases come into play;
• Transfers between family members or after a separation, where duty exemptions need checking;
• Subdivisions, rural land, or a settlement that is delayed or extended.

Six questions to ask before you accept a quote

• Is the professional fee fixed, or is it a starting price?
• Which disbursements are included, and what's your estimate for the rest?
• Does the price include GST?
• Is a contract review before I sign or bid included?
• What do I pay if the sale falls through?
• Are there extra charges if settlement is delayed or my lender asks for more?

The bottom line

Conveyancing is a small part of what it costs to buy or sell property in Melbourne, but it's the part you choose. A clear, fixed fee from someone who reads every page of your contract is usually worth more than the cheapest headline number. Ask for the total in writing, compare it properly, and budget for duty and registration fees separately.